# `break` statement

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< cpp‎ | language

Causes the enclosing for, range-for, while or do-while loop or switch statement to terminate.

Used when it is otherwise awkward to terminate the loop using the condition expression and conditional statements.

### Syntax

attr﻿(optional) `break` `;` |  |

attr | - | (since C++11) any number of attributes

### Explanation

Appears only within the statement of a loop body (`while`, `do-while`, `for`) or within the statement of a `switch`. After this statement the control is transferred to the statement immediately following the enclosing loop or switch. As with any block exit, all automatic storage objects declared in enclosing compound statement or in the condition of a loop/switch are destroyed, in reverse order of construction, before the execution of the first line following the enclosing loop.

### Notes

A break statement cannot be used to break out of multiple nested loops. The goto statement may be used for this purpose.

### Keywords

`break`

### Example

Run this code

    #include <iostream>

    int main()
    {
        int i = 2;
        switch (i)
        {
            case 1: std::cout << "1";   // <---- maybe warning: fall through
            case 2: std::cout << "2";   // execution starts at this case label (+warning)
            case 3: std::cout << "3";   // <---- maybe warning: fall through
            case 4:                     // <---- maybe warning: fall through
            case 5: std::cout << "45";  //
                    break;              // execution of subsequent statements is terminated
            case 6: std::cout << "6";
        }
        std::cout << '\n';

        for (char c = 'a'; c < 'c'; c++)
        {
            for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++)      // only this loop is affected by break
            {                                //
                if (i == 2)                  //
                    break;                   //
                std::cout << c << i << ' ';  //
            }
        }
        std::cout << '\n';
    }

Possible output:

    2345
    a0 a1 b0 b1

### See also

`[[fallthrough]]`(C++17) | indicates that the fall through from the previous case label is intentional and should not be diagnosed by a compiler that warns on fall-through (attribute specifier)
C documentation for break

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